In my effort to bring my readers (and me) up to date, I'm posting some images of last year -- golf activity, travel time, family events. By posting this images, I can then update my BLOG to a more current status and, maybe, just maybe, I could jump back into the saddle of political commentary and renew my tirades against America's liberals and democrats. Believe me, I'm anxious to return. So, here are some additional images continuing the last couple of posts.
Meanwhile, here are some images I've collected these past months that help me remember how interesting things/times/places filled my life. My commentary will return soon. I promise.
Meanwhile, here are some images I've collected these past months that help me remember how interesting things/times/places filled my life. My commentary will return soon. I promise.
Yes, Dear Reader, that title sums up my thoughts from the machinations of the one political party that lost its handle on slavery after the Civil War. What party? Of course, the democrats, who else?
As I observe the arrogant, chest-thumping, name-calling of the dems these past months since Obama’s ascendancy – note the secrecy of the bills no one has seen, and, therefore never even read; note the complete shut-out of any opposition to the deliberations; note the fact that they ignore the legality of what they are doing, and note, finally, the just plain dishonesty and prevarications by the Executive branch and the legislature controlled by the dems -- it is plain to me that the democrat party has determined that to regain its ‘control’ over the American population, it can do so only by achieving its ultimate goal of socialism – control of all aspects of health care insurers, hospitals, doctors, etc. The government then becomes the insurer, the government operates the hospitals, the government decides who goes to medical school and where the practice of medicine takes place. The ‘nanny’ state takes charge, as they say.
Dear reader, when that happens, you have slavery – for the dems, they’ll sing ‘Happy Days Are Here, Again!”
Let’s further develop this analogy:
The essence of slavery -- no matter which society or country observed – is the ultimate control of the health, well-being, and movement of the slave. So, to the slave there is an unquestioned loyalty (forced, of course, or duped) to the slave authority. Every wish or desire of the slave must be filtered through the slave authority.
Continuing my analogy, the controlling authority (government) imposes its will (programs, agencies, offices) on the populace for the sole purpose to administer health benefits, monies, medicines – these dispensations are awarded, granted, distributed to the slave population efficiently or inefficiently – without legal challenge by the populace since the government is the ultimate authority.
Completing the analogy, those so-called non-slaves (people with financial means to skirt the tentacles of the government agencies and obtain their own health services) will ultimately succumb to the government over time. Private health care insurers, of course, will lose clients/customers, and, ‘wither on the vine.’
There then is destroyed a truly marvelously efficient and productive industry, following upon the recent declines of the American automobile manufacturing industry. The final result will be even more devastating than the destroyed auto industry – the insurance industry provides much of the ‘juice’ for capital investment.
Perhaps, a better word for investment is: Freedom!
Well, Dear Readers, it had to happen. Roger expected it, he paid for the ticket, and, so naturally, he collected on his efforts. Collected? Yes, he collected a 1956 Chevrolet Belair Coup -- red and white, and pretty all over. Here are some images of Roger and Jong's trip to Everett when they collected on his winning raffle ticket:
It was a fun time for all of us. The raffle officials, the car dealership hosts were gracious, thrilled at Roger's good fortune. It was a memorable day. The car is even prettier than these images. Ask Roger to drive his new 'Honey'! Be prepared to gas it up, too -- only premium gas, please!
Dear Readers, these past weeks have been most memorable which has left me breathless in assessing, and therefore, writing entries for my BLOG. Please excuse my distractions, and let's get on with this post:
First off, our trip to Chicago for my niece's wedding was a wonderful time for family gatherings, but a horrible time for an intended golfing vacation -- sadly, my golf clubs did not arrive with our other bags, so I spent much of my time playing the role of tourist with my bride and our sons -- visits to an impressive Asian food market called H Mart, a trip to one of our son's office in the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago, noting my Dad's marker at a local church, then a very pleasant walk with my father-in-law -- yes, the very father-in-law who appeared from time to time in this BLOG -- he is up in age, but we enjoyed our private moments. So, here follows some images of our Chicago visit. (Please note, this post is being presented with two significant computer additions -- Apple's iPhone and Apple's MacBook. Yes! In a moment of utter sadness at losing my favorite golf clubs, my spirits were lifted with these two products. So, here goes my effort to insert images:
But how could this be so?
So many years ago, so many events in between.
It’s late Spring, 1982. Family vacation time. For our young boys (ages 3 and 5), a favorite song was sung throughout our home: “Tomorrow”, from the Broadway Show, “Annie.”
I thought, let’s go to Broadway and see the show in person! Yes, my boys howled in glee. And, let’s share our fun with my niece who was born just before our oldest boy. So, a call to Chicago announcing our plan – send my niece to Columbus, Georgia, (my military duty station) via Atlanta, Georgia. From there, our entire family would take a train ride in a sleeper car to New York city, tour the great NYC sites (Statute of Liberty, Empire State Building), and see the Broadway show, “Annie”. All permissions were approved, our plans consumed us, and soon we picked up my niece at the airport, returned to Columbus (just to get my niece acclimated to her cousins) and waited for the train ride. That first night in Columbus proved for me a kind of revelation—the boys were thrilled to have their cousin among us – they shared their toys, their favorite foods, their favorite neighbors, bikes, ‘Big Wheels’, sand box, mud pies, and dirty faces.
That first evening found me getting our children oriented for supper, then baths, stories, and bedtime – my responsibility as Alice was preparing a fabulous meal for us.
“Bath time!” I yelled to the boys. Our ritual was always something interesting to make the bathing chore go smooth for them – water games, bath toys, etc. But, now we have a special guest – my niece! All three were crowded in the tub upstairs. I proceeded to wash down each boy, lift them from the tub, chase them to their bedrooms so they could put on their pajamas. I returned to the bathtub – there stood my niece! I just then realized I needed my Alice, right now! “Alice!” I yelled downstairs. “Please come upstairs and bath Kenyatta.” Of course, Alice was not at all interested in my uneasiness --- she yelled back at me to just bathe her like the boys and be done with it. I realized that she was right, of course, as I was making too much of my little niece, a girl, not a boy.
Anyway, a couple of days later, we were off to the overnight train ride from Atlanta to Broadway, New York City. Our sleeper car proved a very convenient and comfortable accommodation for all five of us – the fold-out bed served as a platform for the three children to bounce, climb, stretch out, nap, listen to stories and see the sites. Of course, there was no way to confine these active tikes to stay in the sleeper car, so we spent several hours trekking through the train, stopping at a snack car, the observation car, and playing hide ‘n seek with other passengers, and yes, reading more stories. The overnight ride got us to Philadelphia the next morning – an opportunity to step off the train, walk a few paces, stretch our legs, and get back on the train for the short ride to Grand Central Station, New York City.
The vacation was a wonderful time for all of us – especially me, since Alice and I remember our arrival on Broadway, the taxis with island music. Our hotel was just a half block from the theater. We arranged through the hotel concierge a babysitter for our youngest (no children under 5 years admitted to the theater) who took good care of our son. We were thrilled by the play, “Annie”, of course – seeing a Broadway show for the first time is an event to behold, and remember.
(Coincidentally, our next assignment in 1982 was West Point, NY. From there, we got to see a number of Broadway shows.)
The next couple of days we visited the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan (the Towers were enormous, indeed).
Time to return to Atlanta: another overnight train ride, more country-side sightseeing, mostly sleeping, sheer exhaustion for the children.
Home sweet home. Our niece flies back to Chicago.
She gets married this September – 27 years later.
Tomorrow IS only a day away!
May the Good Lord Richly Bless You, Kenyatta, and Your Family!
Uncle Nolan & Aunt Alice
Let's review some recent history and logic:
a. The president's achievements since completing high school, college, law school, combined with some law teaching, working at a law firm, then extensive community organizing, then jumping into politics by running for elective office (losing), then winning a state senate seat, then running for U.S. senator (Illinois) -- totaling all of these accomplishments as leading to Chief Executive/President of the United States...review this entire sentence again and again...The conclusion is the same: he was not qualified, is a novice, is in over his head; he is sinking, sinking, and his administration threatens history in the worst way -- an unmitigated failure!
b. Oops! Too late. He's in the office and many of us are finally awakening to the reality. Yes, a history-making event (2008 Election), the ascension of a non-white candidate to the office of president -- a president who seems to really relish his status and stature (but not the work that it requires. He struts an attractive family portrait: two daughters, wife, dog, visible lifestyle of vacations (no cameras please, except when he says so), overseas travel, shopping, watching the ladies, etc.
c. Speeches aplenty -- that teleprompter really gets a work out and its own name (TOTUS); as its a machine, it breaks, it displays words for the president that are unwanted or are late, or whatever. (Gosh! Can he make a speech without that thing? I'm told the answer is no, no, and no.) There are numerous gaffs (his incompetent staff/advisors must be the principle culprits) -- examples: cops acted stupidly even when the president didn't admits he doesn't have all the facts; a host of czars (un-elected, un-veted appointees -- some really out of left field, some just homespun radicals, some wierdoes, some even ne'er do wells. (Some of these characters are even in his inner-circle and it is troubling to learn what they really think about America, the military, the constitution, the rule of law, race-relations, etc.)
Yes, I'm tired of writing about the president. I'm becoming more and more uneasy about his ability and capacity for executive leadership and his on-the-job training so far. Well, dear readers, more than three years remain in his tour as America's leader and one must wonder what's under the next rock for Barack. I dare not venture to comment on international relations, the war in Afghanistan, nukes in the ROK and Iran, or the status of Israel among its enemies in the Middle East, or even the status of America's enemies (are they terrorists or just bad guys...?). I wonder....
Yes, my friends, this is a 'Revolting Development'!
Saturday morning, Springtime in Chicago, I remember that day as if it was just yesterday. In fact, it was over thirty-six years ago. I had recently met a new high school friend at the High School Science Fair. The Fair lasted 3 days at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, so my new friend -- his name was Lee -- and I had conversed quite a bit as we observed science projects and shared notes about judges, science, family, and futures. Lee was an interesting fellow, I thought -- his family lived near mine's on the West Side of the city. On our last day at the Fair, Lee invited me over to his family's home the following Saturday. Off I went to Lee's home, about five blocks away.
I arrived at Lee's home, rang the doorbell. No one answered after several rings, so I went to the back of the building (a three-story) hoping to find Lee in the backyard, perhaps. Alas! No Lee anywhere.
I then went to the alley, looked around for Lee. I saw a much older man working underneath a car that was jacked up on stands in the detached garage.
"Sir!" I said. "Can you tell me if Lee lives here?"
The man replied, "Who are you and why do you want to know?"
"Well, I met Lee at the Science Fair and he asked that I come over and visit with him on Saturday, and so, here I am."
"Okay, so you met my son, but who are you? What's your name, boy?"
"Sir, my name is Nolan. Is Lee at home?"
"Did you ring the door bell?"
"Yes, Sir. Several times, but there was no answer."
"Then he must not be home. You can wait here for him, I suppose."
"Thank you, Sir. I will."
"Well, young man, do you get good grades in school?"
"Yes, Sir, I do."
"Then, let's see how smart you are. Look over there by the tool box and get me a five-eighths inch wrench -- open-end or boxed, I don't care."
I walked over to the tool box he pointed to, looked inside the toolbox and saw a maze of tools -- pliers, screwdrivers, blades, tape, oil can, nails, wires, screws, wrenches, hammers, etc. The tool box had several drawers. I searched for the requested wrench in each drawer. The wrenches had different numbers on them representing different sizes (I supposed), but none of the wrenches had five-eighths on them -- one-quarter, three-sixteenths, three-quarters, one eighth, nine-sixteenths, but no five-eighths. But there were several one-half inch sized wrenches -- open-end and box type. (Please note, I did not have even a rudimentary knowledge of mechanics, wrenches, or car repair.) It is taking me some time to find the wrench and I could sense that Mr. Warren was getting impatient. He was.
"Boy, why is it taking you so long to get my wrench? I don't want to be under this car all day!"
I could not find the five-eighths-inch wrench. But I did not want to give him nothing, so I improvised. I figured he wanted a five-eighths-inch wrench, I did find a lot of one-half inch wrenches. The one-half inch wrench is but a fraction off the five-eighths-inch -- close in fact, according to my high school math. Perhaps, he'll take a one-half inch wrench and be done with it. I would have done my best, he would have a wrench that was pretty close, and I'm sure he would appreciate my effort. I gave him the half inch wrench.
NO, no, no, no, no, NO!
"Boy!" he exclaimed. "I can't use a one-half inch wrench for this bolt. It's too small, the bolt is too big! The wrench must fit the bolt. The bolt is a five-eighths bolt, not a half inch. What do they teach you in that school?"
I said, "Please tell me where the five-eighths wrench could be, I'll get it for you! It's not in that tool box, Sir!"
Just then he turned over beneath the car he was repairing and his movement revealed a shiny steel wrench with five-eighths stamped on it. I thought...should I tell him about the wrench lodged underneath him, or should I just reach under the car and grab the wrench and hand it to him? Let me think...If I presented the wrench to him with a remark such as 'I found the wrench under YOU!' That might not have been a good move. However, I thought, if I just gave him the wrench, he could get on with his car repair effort and all would be well.
I gave him the wrench. He was pleased. We conversed throughout that morning -- I handed him other wrenches, pliers, other tools. Right then I became his assistant -- that Saturday and many, many more Saturdays -- from high school, college, law school, military service, and, finally, marrying his daughter 12 years later.
So what do we have here in 6 months of President Obama?
Can you imagine what America will be in 6 more months? Here are some predictions.
1. Because Obama knows nothing about American government, federal or state, he will continue to flub, confuse, obfuscate, misstate facts, impune his opposition -- whether dems or GOP.
2. Obama will 'step' into racial issues because that is all he knows -- his entire so-called legal/political practice in Chicago was race-based. He did not want to know of what America stands, what makes America unique and different. So, whenever a race-incident pops up -- and there will be more incidents than the stupid Gates incident -- Obama will stick his chin out, raise his ears, and blurt out the typical drivel that comes from today's community agitators.
3. Obama will continue to fast-forward his so-called agenda because he figures that if he keeps up a fast pace, people will forget to take a closer look at what he's doing to America -- building a bigger federal infrastructure that will impose its will on all of America.
Mark my words, Obama does not like America in the same way that I, and most Americans, do. I base my thoughts on his words -- listen to his speeches, his pressers (actually stenography by the press); he does not appear to be proud of America. He is proud of himself. Yes, many blacks ARE in awe of Obama -- his arrival on the national scene is historic. And, yet, the last six months have been nothing short of disasterous, in my view. Here are some final thoughts:
Obama is not interested in winning our military battles/wars, so our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines don't really know what to expect from their commander-in-chief. Obama is not respected by our nation's enemies -- they laugh at him, and his administration; he poses no threat to them. Obama is interested in the presidency -- he is still in shock that he won, he thinks he won because he thinks he is intelligent, articulate, and was the best qualified candidate, but he wasn't. America was enamored with a black candidate -- wishful thinking, I believe, that race and racial tension will be lessened or eliminated.
Not so. Get ready for more race-baiting by Obama and his minions; get ready for more racial tension, too.
